Washington, DC— Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy were joined by Wade Henderson of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Marcia Greenberger of the National Women’s Law Center, and Lillian Rodriguez-Lopez of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda today to discuss the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. Earlier this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee recommended Judge Sotomayor for confirmation as our next U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice. The full Senate is scheduled to debate and vote on Judge Sotomayor’s nomination next week.

“Sonia Sotomayor is an impartial, moderate and mainstream jurist who is equipped with the necessary skills, values and experiences to be a successful Supreme Court Justice,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. “I commend President Obama for his nomination of Judge Sotomayor and ask my Republican colleagues to stand up to their base and demonstrate strong bipartisan support for this accomplished, qualified nominee.”

Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said, “Judge Sotomayor is well qualified; one need look no further than her experience, ability, temperament and judgment. Independent studies have confirmed that Judge Sotomayor is a fair, impartial, moderate judge who has carefully reviewed the facts of each case presented to her in more than 17 years on the bench. She has been nominated by three different Presidents, from two political parties. She has spent nearly 30 years in law enforcement, as a prosecutor, as a trial judge, and on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. There can be no mystery about what kind of Justice Judge Sotomayor will be, and the Senate should overwhelmingly confirm her nomination without delay.”

“Judge Sotomayor’s elevation to the Supreme Court would mark another advance on the equality that this nation has aspired to from its founding. But, even more importantly, it would give Americans a Justice they can be confident will uphold their constitutional values, the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice for all,” said Wade Henderson president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.

“Judge Sotomayor is a remarkably qualified, gifted and inspiring woman who belongs on the Supreme Court. Now that the Judiciary Committee has approved her nomination, the Senate should confirm her resoundingly and without delay,’’ said Marcia D. Greenberger, Co-President of the National Women’s Law Center.

“I want to applaud the 13 members including Senators Leahy and Schumer who placed the emphasis on the important considerations in Judge Sotomayor’s nomination,” said Lillian Rodriguez-Lopez, Chair of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda. “I would hope that the members of the Senate will send a message of resounding support for Judge Sotomayor to the American people when they vote for confirmation as the next Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.”